SALMON INCREASING

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 23, 27 January 1923, Page 7

SALMON INCREASING

GOOD REPORTS RECEIVED

ACCLIMATISATION DIFFICULTY

OVEBCOME.

Encouraging advice with reference to the acclimatisation of imported salmon has been, received from Te. Anau Lake by the Chief Inspector of Fisheries (Mr. L. F. Ayson). Sneaking to a "Post" reporter this morning, he stated -that ha had received telegraphic advice from the meas of Atlantic salmon. During the caught in the Upukororo Stream, which 1 is a tributary to the' lake. On 3rd January five salmon -were seemed by Mr. Montgomery, of Christehnrch; and on the 25th January Messrs. Neill and Laitflaw secured three beautiful specimen of Atlantic salmon. During the past two or three angling seasons several Atlantic salmon were secured at the mouth_ of the Waiira River, and last spawning season there was qnite a "run* of these fish in the Upukoroxo. "This information goes to show that these salnion—the 1 greatest fresh water sporting fish in the world—are now solidly established.

The 'history of the* establishment of ffi«. Atlantic salmon in New Zealand showi that it Was some 55 years ago that the first shipment of eggs was brought out from England. Between 1868 and 1902 some fifteen" shipments were received, but most, of these were in very poor .. order, and 30 per cent, of the eggs were lost. Dp to 1908 there was no actual proof that tiies© salmon lad established themselves, as no fish had been secured which had- returned from the «&/ and were sexually matured, 'fhe Government .then decided on a more vigorous and systematic attempt to establish them in on* of the best rivers, and this decision was encouraged by the success which attended the establishment of quinnat salmon oh the same lines, and for which the Waitaki River was chosen. For the establishment of- the- Atlantic salmon the Waiau Kiver was chosen, and the Marine Department established a hatchery there in 1908, on a small- cold wate* creek at the lower end of Lake Te Aiiau. Three shipments of eggs, totaling 2,500,----000, . were imported between 1908 and 1911. lii each instance an expert was sent to pack the eggs in England' and attend to them on the voyage ~out. Th« result of the attention of' the eipert was the arrival of ttie eggs With a minimuni of loss. In each, instance there was a loss of Tinder 1 per cent, from the time the eggs were packed in- England until they -were unpacked in New Zealand. The young fish hatched from these three shipments were all liberated in tributaries of the upper reaches of the Waiau River, most of them being pu,t into the Upukororo., There' can be little doubt that the final establishment of the fish is due to the systematic and intense stocking carried oat by the Department. The time elapsing between the liberation of the fish and the catching and spawning corresponds with the time they would take to mature, X has been proved that systematic and intense stocking ie necessary for the successful establishment of anadromoos nth, 1 like salmon.

The acclimatisation of Atlantic salmon into all the suitable rivers of the Dominion is regarded as an important national ■work. The Marine Department ha* maintained ite hatchery at Te Anau Lak* for the.purpose of hatching eggs which, may be collected from the salmon established in that district, and arrangements have been made by the Department to net the Upokororo stream and collect m many eggs as possibile during the coming spawning season. These eggs win b« batched and the young fish will be liberated in other suitable rivers.

It was reported recently that a number of fishermen bad lost their tackle in the Hatt River. - As far as can bo ascertained, there has not been an angler sufficiently fortunate to land one of ths fish tint has been' canning the trouble.: It is probable that the fi«h are quinnat salmon, which are now well established on the South Island east coast, and in Cook Sttaft. Last year the Fisheries Department seenred over 1,500,000 eggs from salmon netted in tributaries of the Waitaki River, and these have been used in increasing the number and spreading the fish. As a sporting proposition this salmon is not as good as the Atlantic salmon as it does not take the fly so jrdl in fresh watec